After this week’s competency hearing, families plead with Florida officials to respect their wishes before Friday’s decision
Multiple public petitions call on Governor and Clemency Board to grant mercy
The children of Curtis Windom, along with relatives of one of the victims, are calling on Florida officials to halt Windom’s scheduled execution on August 28. Following a competency hearing held this week, the families are speaking out ahead of a court decision expected Friday, saying the state is ignoring the voices of those most directly impacted — who have forgiven Windom and do not want his life taken in their name.
Windom was convicted in 1992 of killing three people in Orange County and has been on death row for more than three decades. In the years since, his children and some members of the victims’ families have worked to heal, forgive, and rebuild their lives. They say that the clemency process has been sporadic, incomplete, and has failed to meaningfully take into account their perspective.
“No one in our family wants this execution,” said Windom’s daughter, Curtisia Windom. “We’ve already lived through the horror of that day, and we’ve spent the last 33 years trying to heal. I have forgiven my father. My brothers have forgiven my father. We’ve reached a place of peace with him after years of pain. Killing him now will not bring anyone back — it will only reopen deep wounds and take away the closure we’ve worked so hard to find. We’ve told the state this, but they have not listened.”
Curtisia says that her family, and even siblings of at least one of the victims, have written letters to the Florida Board of Executive Clemency urging mercy. She says that if the court and Governor move forward despite their wishes, it will be a profound injustice that retraumatizes both families.
“This process has been rushed and inconsistent,” she added. “It has not truly included the people most affected by this tragedy. We’re asking the Governor, the courts, and anyone who can make a difference to stop this execution and let our families move forward without reliving this trauma all over again.”
If the execution proceeds, it will be the 11th in Florida this year — the most of any state and a modern-era record for the state.
How the Public Can Help
Multiple petitions are now circulating urging Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency to halt this execution, issue a stay, and grant clemency:
- Death Penalty Action Petition: Stop the Execution of Curtis Windom in Florida
- Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty Petition: Stay the Execution of Curtis Windom
The family encourages the public to sign and share these petitions widely before Friday’s decision and to call the Governor’s office at 850-717-9337 to voice opposition.
